CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Samford University softball team fell 8-6 and 8-7 in doubleheader action against OVC opponent Austin Peay State University on Wednesday, March 25, at Cheryl Holt Field.
Junior
Megan Dowdy continued to shine from her leadoff position as she recoded another pair of multiple hit games to extend her total out to 19 on the season. The Fairhope, Alabama native went 6 for 9 (.667) on the day with three runs scored and a double. Her best performance came in game two of the day where she went a nearly perfect 4 for 5.
It was mostly all Bulldogs (20-13) in game one as Samford held a 6-4 lead over Austin Peay (5-17) going into the bottom of the seventh inning. Before then the Lady Govs only managed to do damage to starting pitcher
Jessica Stone in the bottom of the second inning with a three-run home run; from then on Stone only allowed one hit to the next 13 AP batters.
In the bottom of the sixth Stone gave up back-to-back singles with two outs on the board which prompted a change in the circle. Sophomore Gray Adams came in relief with two outs and recorded the third when she sat down Chandler Groves swinging.
Adams led off the top of the seventh hitting Burroughs on a 2-0 count and then followed up with a strikeout and a pair of walks to load the bases. Stone re-entered the game with the bases loaded and Morgan Hoeg at the plate. Hoeg drew a 2-1 count from Stone then lifted ball over the left center field wall for the four RBI game-winning grand slam.
It was all about timely hitting in game two against the Lady Govs as Austin Peay managed eight runs on just six hits and three uncommon Samford errors. The Bulldogs out-hit AP 15-6 in the contest but left 10 runners total stranded on base through the seven inning affair.
Samford held a 5-0 lead, thanks to home runs from
Abby Sweeney and
Callie Brister, going into the bottom of the second inning when Austin Peay struck for five runs of its own. The Lady Govs earned one on an RBI single to center field by Mel Pavel and then tied the game 5-5 on its second grand slam of the day by Groves.
The Lady Govs would then go on to score three more runs in the bottom of the third thanks to three hits and three Samford miscues to take the lead 8-5.
Samford battled back in the top of the sixth and seventh innings with an RBI single from sophomore
Abby Sweeney that scored Dowdy in the sixth and junior
Callie Brister hit her second home run in the game in the top of the seventh with one out to close down the Austin Peay lead to 8-7.
Brister finished the day an even .500 going 4 for 8 at the plate with two home runs, three runs scored and four RBIs; both home runs were hit in the second game of the day. Maze matched Brister with a 4 for 8 showing with three runs scored, a double and two stolen bases.
The Bulldogs will now prepare for its next road test as the team continues SoCon play against UNCG for a three-game series that is set to start on Saturday, March 28, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
